Nebraska DEQ Awards $1.7 Million for Tire Recycling Projects

The state of Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality announced that it is awarding $1,767,116 to assist 93 tire recycling and cleanup projects throughout the state.

The grants are part of the Waste Reduction and Recycling Grants program, which is administered by the Department of Environmental Quality. The grants support both the collection of scrap tires and the purchase of new tire-derived products.

According to Mike Linder, director of the state’s DEQ, the money will go toward helping clean up around 840,000 scrap tires through amnesties, will reimburse individuals and organizations for crumb rubber and equipment purchases, and will help prevent public health and environmental problems by eliminating tire piles.

One area where a significant amount of the grant money will be going toward is to allow the state to hold 41 scrap tire "Amnesty Day" collection sites in 48 locations throughout the state. To successfully operate these the state has awarded the program $856,486.90. Funds have been made available to clean up over 8,400 tons of scrap tires from individuals, farms, and businesses. The tires will be converted into crumb rubber for playground surfaces, running tracks, and artificial turf surfaces. They will also be processed into shreds for daily cover at landfills, and for use in leachate collection systems and around septic tank laterals. Other scrap tires will be hauled to scrap tire monofills outside of Nebraska.

To view the full list of tire grant money recipients click on the following link – Nebraska Tire Grant Recipients